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A’Ibom Assembly to reverse dep speaker’s impeachment

The impeachment of the deputy speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr, Uwem Udoma may be reversed on the orders of the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

The impeachment of the deputy speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr, Uwem Udoma may be reversed on the orders of the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

Udoma was impeached by midnight of Monday, December 24, 2007 after a previous attempt to remove him during the day’s proceedings was thwarted through his physical efforts destroying the mace and chasing out the members including the Speaker, Obong Ignatius Edet, from the legislative chambers.

But Daily Sun learnt that no sooner had the nocturnal impeachment was carried out than the governor ordered those who took part to revert to the status quo ante and allow peace to reign in the House.

A reliable government house source told Daily Sun that Akpabio, who had driven with the embattled Udoma to the House to save him from the imminent impeachment, was angry that despite his personal intervention, "the speaker, who was apparently installed by the governor, ignored his boss and went ahead with the impeachment even without the mace and after the House had officially adjourned for the year."

It was learnt that Akpabio had given all the parties involved a stern warning not to speak with the press or even air the impeachment news on the state electronic media.
The source said a disappointed Akpabio, had in the meeting, learnt from those who partook in the purported impeachment that they were blackmailed into supporting the speaker based on the false information that the exercise "was an executive bill."

Apparently supporting the above line of thought, the press secretary to the governor, Mr. Usoro Usoro, who expressed his surprise over the news that Udoma was impeached despite the governor’s personal intervention, explained that Akpabio was not disposed to such upheaval in the House.
"I’m not aware that the deputy speaker has been impeached, but I think the governor made it clear that he would not like a situation where there is a problem so early in the life of this administration," Usoro told Daily Sun on phone.

The Chairman of Information Committee in the House, Hon Ekpewo Ekpo, and one of those purportedly suspended by the House alongside Udoma, in a press release made available to Daily Sun on Wednesday, said the story that there was some impeachment or suspension of the members, was not true.

"There was nothing like impeachment of the deputy speaker and no member was suspended on the said date as proceedings in the house ended in a stalemate by Monday, December 24, 2007 and the House adjourned to reconvene in January 2008.

"We also place on record that the speaker, Hon. Ignatius Edet was not impeached or suspended as published in the national daily (not The Sun). For avoidance of doubt, there are extant rules governing proceedings in the house that are public documents. The status quo-ante remains; and there is nothing more pretentious," the release said.

Attempts to get further reaction from the state commissioner for information, Mr Census Ekpu, were not successful, as he never responded to a text message sent to his phone.